Pretied bow tie



July 20, 1954 J. W. LESS PRETIED BOW TIES Filed Aug. 29, 1952 FIG. 8.FIG.9

INVENTOR JOSEPH w. LESS,

A'I'TORNE Patented July 20, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to bow ties, and particularly to such ties which are sold pre-tied.

It is well known to provide pre-tied bow ties comprising a folded tie body compressed at the center by a fabric band which is sewn in place and provided with a suitable metal clip to secure the tie to the collar bands, as seen for example in United States Patent 2,104,625 to S. Sherman, or with a wire clip to engage over the neckband of the shirt, as seen for example in United States Patent 313,807. The present invention relates to an improvement in such pre-tied bow ties in which no sewing is required to secure the center band about the tie body.

In accordance with my invention, the center band of the tie is secured in place by a wire member impaled through both ends of the center band, and preferably also through a portion of the compressed fabric of the central portion of the tie body, one exposed portion of the wire member being in the form of a clip to engage over the top edge of the neckband of a shirt, and a second exposed portion constituting a pair of spring arms to be engaged under the fold of the shirt collar to maintain the clip in place.

In order that the invention may be understood in detail, reference is bad to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of a pre-tied bow tie constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively plan and side elevational views of a wire member employed in the embodiment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one form of center band suitable for use in the invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the first step in inserting the wire member of Figs. 2 and 3 in the tie construction shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 illustrating a further stage in assembling the tie shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a rear elevational view of a pre-tied bow tie constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention;

Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively plan and side elevational views of a wire member employed in this embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line Ill-l 0, Fig. '7, parts being shown in elevation.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and first to Fig. 1 thereof, it will be notedthat the embodiment here shown comprises a tie body I compressed at the center by a center band 2. The tie body may be of any conventional bow tie construction and may, for example, be prepared in accordance with the method disclosed in my copending' application, Serial Number 307,128, filed August 29, 1952. The ends of the center band 2 are not sewn together, but are impaled and secured solely by the spring wire securing and attaching member indicated generally at 3.

The member 3, shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3 in its form before insertion in the tie, serves both to secure the center band 2 under tension about the tie body and also to provide means for attaching the completed tie assembly to the shirt of the wearer. Thi member includes a loop I, of generally circular form in this embodiment, terminating in a pair of intermediate offset portions 5 and 6, Fig. 3, which join the prongs 1 and 8, respectively, the prongs having pointed ends 9 and 10.

To assemble the tie, with the body I held back upward, the center band 2 is placed partially around the middle of the tie body I with one end I I of the band extending upwardly from the tie body and the other end l2 of the band held against the back of the tie body, as seen in Fig. 5. The prongs l and 8 of the member 3 are then inserted through the end H until the points of the prongs are above the end 12. The member 3 is then rotated up and over, as indicated by the dashed arrow in Fig. 5, and during such movement the points of the prong are forced downwardly through the end 12 of the center band, through a portion of the tie body I, and outwardly again through the center band, the points of emergence being at l3 and I4, as seen in Fig. 6. Sharp bends are then formed in the prongs 'l and 8 at the points of emergence l3 and M, respectively, so that the prongs diverge above the tie body to provide spring arm portions, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6 and shown at E5 and 15, Fig. 1. lhe ends of the prongs are then bent into small circles I! and 18 to cover the sharp points 9 and i0.

' In use, after the collar of the wearers shirt is buttoned, the loop 4 is simply slipped over and behind the neckband of the shirt, and the arms l5 and E6 bent downwardly and positioned under the fold line which connects the collar band to the neckband. Thus, the spring arms I5 and I6 urge the entire tie assembly downwardly, holding the offsets 5 and 6 against the top edge of the neckband of the shirt and maintaining the loop 4 behind the neckband.

A second embodiment of the invention is illus- :3 trated in Figs. 7-10 and, like the embodiment just discussed, includes a tie body 2| compressed at the center by a center band 22, the center band being held in tension about the tie body by a spring wire securing and attaching member 23. As seen in detail in Figs. 8 and 9, the member 23 comprises a loop 24 terminating in a pair of intermediate S-shaped ofiset portions 25 and 26, Fig. 9, which join the prongs 2'! and 28, respectively, the prongs being provided with pointed ends 29 and 30, respectively.

In this embodiment, I prefer that the ends 3| and 32 of the center band be turned inwardly, as seen in Fig. 10, these ends preferably being squared instead of rounded. To assemble, I thrust the pointed prongs 21, 23 through the center band 22, a portion of the compressed central portion of the tie body 2|, and through the in- Wardly overlapped ends SI and 32, in the manner seen in Fig. 10, so that the offsets 25, 26 engage the center band. I then force suitable retaining beads 33 and 3%, preferably of plastic, down over the-pointed prongs 2'! and 28, respectively, until the portion of the tie assembly impaled by the prongs is compressed between the beads 33, 34

and the offsets 25, 2B, maintaining the center band under tension about the tie body. The prongs are then bent outwardly at the tops of beads 33 and 31-; to provide the divergent spring arms 35 and 36, Fig. 7, and the pointed ends of the prongs are bent into small circles 27 and 28 to hide the sharp points 2e and 30. The beads 33 and 34 may be simply held in place by the bends from which the arms 35 and 38 diverge, or the beads may be screw threaded to the prongs, or cemented thereto.

In both embodiments, it will be noted that the center band is held in tension about the tie body solely by the action of the spring wire retaining and attaching member impaled therethrough. And, in each case, the retaining and attaching member includes twin impaling prongs which join below the tie body in a loop for engagement behind the neckband of the shirt when the tie is worn, and are extended above the tie body in :7

the form of divergent spring arms to engage under the fold of the shirt collar.

For purposes of simplicity, I have illustrated the tie bodies I and 2! as conventional pointed end type. tion is not limited to the particular form of tie body employed.

I claim:

1. In pretied bow tie, the combination of a tie body, a center band encircling said tie body It will be understood that the inventhe fold line of a shirt collar, and intermediate portions joining said arms to said loop and being offset rearwardly from the tie to space said loop behind the tie.

2. In a pre-tied bow tie, the combination of a tie body, a center band encircling said tie body at the center thereof, and a twin pronged spring wire securing and attaching member impaled through the ends of said center band and a portion of said tie body, the prongs of said member at their points of entrance into the tie each having a rearwardly directed offset portion and at their points of emergence from the tie each having a relatively sharp bend, said center band being held under tension and prevented from loosening by reason of said offsets and said bends, said prongs diverging upwardly from said bends to form spring arms for engagement beneath the fold line of a shirt collar when the tie is worn, and said securing and attaching member including a portion depending from said offsets in the form of a loop for engagement behind the neckband of the shirt.

3. In a pro-tied bow tie, the combination of a tie body, a center band encircling said tie body'at the center thereof, a twin pronged spring wire securing and attaching member impaled through the ends of said center band to secure the same under tension about said tie body, the two prongs of said member joining below said tie body in the form of a dependent loop for engagement behind the neckband of a shirt when the tie is worn and the ends of said prongs above said tie body diverging to provide spring arms to engage under the fold of the shirt collar, and a retaining bead secured to each of said prongs above said tie body and in engagement with said center band.

In a pre-tied bow tie, the combination of a tie body, a center band encircling said tie body at the center thereof, and a twin pronged spring wire securing and attaching member impaled through the ends of said center band to secure the band under tension about said tie body, the two prongs of said member extending upwardly of the tie through said ends and diverging above the tie to provide spring arms to engage under the fold of a shirt collar when the tie is worn and joining at their opposite ends in the form of a rearwardly offset loop depending from the tie body for engagement behind the neckband of the shirt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 170,651 Waehner Nov. 30, 1875 171,327 Struhar Dec. 21, 1875 305,220 Pegram Sept. 16, 1884 616,822 Callaghan Dec. 27, 1898 733,871 Peterson July 14, 1903 1,248,086 Daniel Nov. 27, 1917 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 33,200 France Mar. 6, 1928 

